This discussion is taking a similar turn to one held (?last year??) on the
advantages and disadvantages of using CAQDAS.
Might be useful to look up archives.
Briefly - I advocate strongly that YQRs (thanks here Eddy) be thoroughly
trained in manual analytic techniques (Michael Agar has a great outline of
what to do in practical terms in 'The Professional Stranger') before moving
to CAQDAS because in my experience students find the software hard to grasp
until they understand why it's trying to do what it's trying to do through
personal experience.
Thatz my tuppence halfpenny anyway...
Sarah D
-----Original Message-----
From: qual-software [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of
David Eddy Spicer
Sent: 14 November 2003 20:02
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: since when ...
As a YQR*, I've learned a lot reading the back and forth around this issue,
with thoughtful contributions from key developers. (Kudos to Ann, for
setting up this forum!) Among the community of other beginning researchers
where I am, I have seen both the power and elegance of computer-assisted
qualitative tools as well as ways that they can entrance and distract from
what Becker calls, the "continous dialogue with empirical data."
The fact is, the learning curve is steep, no matter what tool you use. (I
use ATLAS, primarily, but have also used NVivo & have played with Qualrus.)
I do think that at the wrong moment for a beginning researcher, trying to
tackle even the rudiments of a particular software can distract from that
"dialogue". I think this is especially true in the case we've been
discussing here, where the logic of a particular approach has yet to be
well defined.
David
* YQR = young qualitative researcher (in experience, but not years for this
one!)
===================
David Eddy Spicer
Doctoral Candidate
Learning & Teaching
Harvard Graduate School of Education
--On Wednesday, November 12, 2003 10:16 AM -0600 Ed Brent
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> I really have to object to Ray's comment that qualitative analysis
> programs are too much program for doing simple qualitative analysis while
> quantitative databases or spreadsheets are not.
>
> Qualitative researchers have spent entirely too much time already tryng to
> limp along doing qualitative analyses on programs designed for
> quantitative purposes. Even for something simple like coding brief
> open-ended answers, any of the qualitative analysis programs are superior
> to a spreadsheet or database program. I'll let other developers speak
> for themselves, but Qualrus offers a number of significant advantages
> over a spreadsheet or database for this task. With Qualrus you can
> - use the categorizing tool to easily group similar responses and then
> assign a standard code in one step
> - use scripts and the intelligent tools to automatically assign codes to
> segments
> - use simple qualitatively oriented tools like search or scripts to
> examine segments having particular codes or code/text combinations to
> check coding accuracy
> - use logical relationships among codes to exploit hierarchies and other
> logical dependencies that can help you generalize your findings and refine
> your codes.
>
> The other qualitative analysis programs offer advantages over spreadsheets
> and database programs as well. The only advantage of a spreadsheet or
> database program is that the person may already have one of those on their
> computer. But isn't it rather short-sighted to encourage researchers to
> continue using programs because they have them rather than because they
> offer the best way to perform qualitative research? It seems to me we
> ought to be encouraging young qualitative researchers to explore the tools
> available and become competent in their use so that throughout their
> careers they can take maximum advantage of those tools and not be forced
> to continue limiting future projects to fit the standard mold of
> off-the-shelf quantitative packages.
>
> Edward Brent, Ph.D.
> President, Idea Works, Inc.
> 100 West Briarwood
> Columbia, Missouri 65203 USA
> (573) 445-4554
> (573) 446-2199 (fax)
> [log in to unmask]
> www.ideaworks.com
> www.qualrus.com
>
>
>>
>> If the open responses or only one or two words, you may be better off not
> using a qualitative software package and just entering responses into a
> quantitative database.
>> Bottom line - think about whether or not you are buying too much of a
> package for your purpose.
>>
>> Hope that helps,
>> Ray
>>
>>
>> Raymond C. Maietta, Ph.D., President
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